New six-string

Highly recomended!
Before spending huge money on some "big names",try playing somewhere an Yamaha TRB JP,a.k.a. "John Pattitucci Signature".It's astonishing in every respect,and won't let you down in any situation!
I don't know any detail about the collaboration between Yamaha and Pattitucci regarding the buld-up of this instrument,but,waching the results,Pattitucci knows damn well what he wants!
Greetings from Osijek,Croatia!

only things MADE in untopia sound awesome. i didn't mean that it didn't sound good, i've played 2 jp signature in my short but illustrious career and both played very nicely and i actually like their string spacing it's just that to me they don't seem worth the money that they charge for them when you can get a cirrus for much less.

Welcome to TB, Sorin. One thing to remember is that the Yammie has 3/4" string spacing, which to my knowledge the Cirrus does'nt. Correct me if I'm wrong. Some people like the wide spacing. I have a friend with a TRB6P, and he cant stand to play another bass with narrow spacing, even my Tobias, which is 17mm. (3/4" = 19mm)

Hey guys,
About that string spacing on a 6er...what are your thoughts about the advantages of 19mm string spacing. I currently play the cirrus 6 (17mm spacing) and it feels great to me, but I am looking at some other basses that have 19mm spacing. What would be the drawbacks to 19mm spacing? Would a switch to 19mm spacing be a good idea for my smaller hands?
Digs

Originally posted by Digagroove What would be the drawbacks to 19mm spacing? Would a switch to 19mm spacing be a good idea for my smaller hands?
Digs

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19mm is easier to slap and gives you sufficient room to dig in underneath the strings for a hard attack. If you're hamfisted like JP, you're less likely to bump into other strings inadvertently.

The disadvantage is that the neck must be made wider. If you're the type that likes to wrap your thumb around the neck, think again. If you have small hands, 17mm would probably be a better choice for a 6.

I just got a 20 mm spaced bass that I always thought would be way too big for my small digits but... due to its thin front to back neck it's very comfy. I had a 17 mm Sr 406 that I though was ideal, but now feels very cramped. I play a lot of fingerstyle acoustic guitar so though this was perfect. Finger picking ( slap issues aside ) this greater traveling distance for my hand (floating thumb muting, etc.) seems to be less painful for my tendonitus too. No one was more surprised than I was! Jim T.

Wide spacing is one of those things that people tend to think will be harder to use. Anthony Jackson, who hardly has large hands has been a proponent of wide spacing for years. For a lot of people a 19mm 4 string feels good yet they think a 19mm 5 will be less so... until they spend some time quality time on one. Perceived "comfort" was probably the reason early fives were as narrow as they were... and uncomfortable too

Well, it's important to remember that personal preference is going to be the deciding factor in spacing. I started on Fender Jazzes and that sort of set my technique: My taste has always been toward wider spaced strings, like 20mm or 21mm.

My main 6's for years were Fodera Anthony Jackson Contrabasses, one fretted and one fretless. The 21mm from string to string made playing a blast for me, but a lot of others who picked them up commented on how wide the neck felt. My backup bass became a Yamaha TRB6P, which has a 19mm spacing. It's still pretty comfortable, but there's definitely a difference. Now I'm playing a Conklin Sidewinder 8 and it's got 17mm spacing.

While it's taken me about a month to get used to slapping on it, chording and string crossing are much facilitated. I've only picked up my Foderas a couple of times and that was just for comparison's sake. I still prefer the bigger gap for slap, but for anything else 17mm is fine. And one can always woodshed. Try a few different basses and see what works for you, what feels the most natural. In the end it doesn't make any difference what anyone else says: you're the one who's going to be playing...

Originally posted by Brad Johnson Wide spacing is one of those things that people tend to think will be harder to use..<snip>... until they spend some time quality time on one. Perceived "comfort" was probably the reason early fives were as narrow as they were... and uncomfortable too

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One of the reasons I ordered my 5 with narrow spacing was fear of hand cramping. Now that I've spent some time with a 6 with wider spacing, I've come to like it. If I were ordering that 5 again today it's the one thing I'd change.

I've totally gotten used to the tight spacing on the 5, but going from the 6 to the 5 in a set is MUCH more difficult than going from the 5 to the 6.